7:30 AM — Ice Cube is now speaking out on the offer … saying it was a no-brainer to pitch Caitlin Clark to his organization.
“Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3,” he said minutes ago on X … while also pointing out the league has a track record of breaking barriers with female coaches like Nancy Lieberman and Lisa Leslie.
“With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes,” Cube added.
The BIG3 founder also thinks his org. will be a better alternative for WNBA athletes to make money during the offseason … so they don’t have to take their talents to “often dismal and dubious foreign countries” to earn a living.
“And they should have more than just one professional option in the US at a time when American pro sports leagues are being infiltrated by autocratic, anti-women regimes such as Qatar,” he said. “Our pathbreaking offer to Caitlin Clark demonstrates that BIG3 now offers another choice for athletes.”
Caitlin Clark is in line to make more history — the NCAA phenom could become basketball’s first-ever $5 million woman, if she accepts a massive deal from Ice Cube‘s Big3 league … TMZ Sports has learned.
Sources with direct knowledge of the deal tell us Cube’s up and coming basketball league has already put the unprecedented offer on the table for Caitlin — $5 million to play 8 regular season games and possibly 2 playoff games! That’s it … 10 games for $5 mil, guaranteed.
We’re told she would also get “substantial additional compensation” from merchandising and sponsorships — but here’s the biggest rub to the deal … Big3 would allow her to also play in the WNBA.
Caitlin, who’s Iowa Hawkeyes are getting ready for their Sweet 16 game this weekend in the Women’s NCAA Tournament, has already declared herself for the WNBA draft next month … and the Indiana Fever have made it clear they’re picking Caitlin with their #1 pick.
There are only 2 regular season Fever games that could potentially conflict with the BIG3 schedule — so, we’re told Cube’s league sees this as a win-win-win situation for both leagues, and obviously, Caitlin.
CC is the biggest name in college hoops this season, as she became the all-time scoring leader in NCAA history … and that’s for women and men, as she topped “Pistol” Pete Maravich‘s 54-year-old record of 3,667 points. So, there’s no mystery why the BIG3 would go all out to get her.
Here’s how astronomical this offer is for Caitlin — the highest-paid player in the WNBA last year was Jewell Loyd, who made around $600,000. It’s expected Caitlin’s rookie deal with the WNBA will be $76,000 if she ends up being the first overall pick as expected.
She would be the first female player in the BIG3, but she’s famously grown up playing and practicing against male players … so, that’s nothing new for her
